


Real Intention

by randomwriter57



Series: Reigisa Week 2016 [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff I guess, M/M, although sorry about the end, hand-holding, it's just a silly cutesy one-shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-13 01:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5689510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomwriter57/pseuds/randomwriter57
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the summer of their second year, Nagisa starts holding Rei’s hand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Real Intention

**Author's Note:**

> It's here!! Reigisa Week 3 has begun!!  
> I'm super excited to see what everyone has created this time too!! Reigisa week is always so fun, so I'm glad I'm able to take part in it again.  
> This particular fic is one that I had a lot of fun writing. It's pretty relaxed and a little silly, so I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Written for [Reigisa Week](http://reigisaweek.tumblr.com) #3, Day One: Hand-Holding.

It begins in the summer of their second year.

After the disaster in which Nagisa thought Rei was quitting the swim club, Nagisa becomes a little more...he can't think of the word. Not clingy, but still overly comfortable with physical contact. For instance, he starts to nuzzle his head into Rei's shoulder when he's trying to persuade him to do something. It doesn't happen often, but enough for Rei to notice. And sometimes he'll bump shoulders with Rei as though reminding him, "I'm over here!" Rei takes it as a call for attention, not anything more or less serious.

As time passes and they go on to nationals, Nagisa's threshold of contact continues to grow. He puts his head on Rei's shoulder more often when they sit beside each other. Occasionally, he'll even hug Rei, which is something Rei's had to grow accustomed to, since he isn't used to this much physical contact. But it's only after their sixth-place success that the next stage begins.

The hand-holding.

Rei doesn't see it coming at all, but that's most likely because it starts on a small scale. When Nagisa is trying to seriously persuade Rei of something, he'll grab one or both of Rei's hands, gripping tightly and looking straight into Rei's eyes as he speaks. It doesn't strike Rei as all that surprising, considering that he has done it before to his other friends as well. Still, it surprises him.

Then, one day as they walk home from school, the evening twilight dawning upon them, their hands brush against each other. And again. And again. Rei wonders if he should move to the side, but then it happens.

Nagisa takes his hand.

He doesn't react at all - in fact, he carries on with his talking as usual without missing a beat. Despite Rei's surprised staring, he doesn't say anything. In the end, Rei decides not to make a fuss over it, and they continue as such. It happens again the next day, and the next, until it becomes routine for Nagisa to take his hand on the way to and from school.

It isn't something that Rei is too bothered about. After all, Nagisa doesn't continue it to a point where Rei becomes uncomfortable. He lets go as soon as they reach the school, and he only takes Rei's hand when there's no one around to see them. It might have seemed random at first, but Rei has figured out by now that Nagisa's actions are very deliberate. He doesn't mind, of course. In fact, he finds himself enjoying the warmth from Nagisa's small hand, the way it fits into his so easily. But he doesn't understand why Nagisa is doing this. The only reason he knows for holding someone's hand is if you hold intimate feelings for them, but that can't be the case. Perhaps this is a new trend, or something that close friends do nowadays. Then again, if this is something that close friends do, then surely Makoto and Haruka hold hands as well. His senpais have been friends since childhood, after all. It would be no surprise to Rei if they hold hands with each other as well.

Just to make sure, Rei corners them in the club room one afternoon before swimming practice. Nagisa is busy speaking with Gou outside, so he takes his chance.

"Excuse me, Makoto-senpai, Haruka-senpai. Could I speak to you for a moment?"

Haruka looks a little peeved not to be allowed to dive straight into the pool, but he stays.

Makoto gives Rei a good-natured smile. "Of course, Rei. What's up?"

"Excuse my intrusion into your personal lives, but do you hold hands with each other?"

Silence. Makoto and Haruka stare at him, looking confused by his question, and a little pale too, now Rei looks at them. Perhaps they need more Vitamin D. After a moment, Haruka speaks.

"Not really."

Rei frowns. This can't be right. His theory had to have been correct - though if they are denying it, then he must accept defeat. "Are you sure?"

"I think we'd know," Makoto says, his voice hesitant. "Is something wrong, Rei?"

"Ah, it's nothing." He waves it off, though inside his mind is racing. "I apologise for being so intrusive."

Makoto tells him its fine, then goes out to the pool area. Rei expects Haruka to follow, but finds that he stays, looking at Rei with an expression he cannot dissect.

Then, after a long moment of silence in which Rei considers apologising and diving into the pool just to get rid of this atmosphere, Haruka speaks. "Sometimes."

Blinking, Rei runs the word through his head. "Pardon?"

"We sometimes do that," Haruka says. "Hold hands."

A flicker of hope goes through Rei. "Really?"

Haruka nods. "When Makoto is scared or needs comfort, especially when watching horror films, we hold hands. Also, when Makoto is asleep he likes contact."

The flicker withers and dies. "I see."

"Is this to do with Nagisa?" Haruka asks suddenly.

Rei feels his heart stop. He hadn't meant to be this obvious about it. "W-what makes you think that?"

"You hold hands sometimes," Haruka says shortly.

Oh. Haruka must have seen them holding hands on their way to or from school one day. It irks Rei a little to think that his senpai knew all this time and didn't mention anything.

He sighs. There's no point in keeping it secret now. "Nagisa-kun has started to hold my hand on the way to and from school, and I'm not sure why."

"And you asked about Makoto and I because...?"

"I wondered if it was something that close friends do," Rei says, though saying it aloud feels mediocre now. "I suppose that is not the case?"

"Not really. Have you tried asking Nagisa?"

"I don't want him to think he's doing anything wrong by it."

For a second, Rei swears he sees the ghost of a smile pass Haruka's face. Then, he says, "I'm sure you'll be okay. Talk to him." Without another word, he leaves the clubroom, heading for his beloved pool.

Rei stands for a moment, reconsidering the conversation he's just had. He still doesn't understand what just happened.

 

* * *

 

 

Later that afternoon, after practice, Nagisa takes Rei's hand as usual. They get to the train station early, so Rei takes the opportunity.

"Nagisa-kun, can I talk to you for a second?" he says once Nagisa has wrapped up his current anecdote.

Nagisa blinks, then smiles. "Of course, Rei-chan. What's up?"

Rei clears his throat. He feels a little nervous now, asking about it. The chances of messing up with serious consequences aren't too high, but he doesn't want to hit them at all. "I wanted to ask you about this."

"This?"

He gestures to their linked hands.

"Oh." Nagisa's face falls a little, then he brightens up again, though Rei can tell the smile isn't genuine. "Sorry, I should have asked before I started doing this. Does it bother you?"

"Not at all!" Rei says, shaking his head. Subconsciously, he notices that his grip on Nagisa's hand tightens. "Rather, I wondered why you started this, anyway."

Nagisa cocks his head to the side in confusion. "Because I wanted to, of course."

"I gathered that much."

With a final small smile, Nagisa takes his hand out of Rei's and turns to face him properly. "Okay, I'll tell you. Please don't hate me, though.

"I could never-"

"I like you, Rei-chan."

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me at [randomactuallywrites-57](http://randomactuallywrites-57.tumblr.com) on tumblr | [@randomwriter57](http://twitter.com/randomwriter57) on twitter!


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